.45 ACP Crimp?

[birddog]

Morning folks.

I'm hoping some of you .45 reloaders can help me out. I've been loading .44 mag and.357 / .38 with my Lee turret press with great results. Regarding crimps, I've used the Lee Factory Crimp die for those calibers.

I wanted to start reloading .45 ACP's so I picked up another turret, a set of Lee Dies. Now, I've been reading the Lee literature and they say that aside from the bullet seating die, no further crimp is recommended. So I didn't order their crimp die. The past few hours, I've been going insane comparing factory rounds (winchester and CCI) and trying to set the bullet seating / crimp die to match the crimps of these factory loads. The problem is, even using a good set of calipers, I just can't tell if I have it right.

I have 20/20 vision and can NOT really see a crimp in the factory loads. Is it just me? What's it sposed to look like?

Should I buy the Factory Crimp? I can't see why, lol, since the factory crimps are nearly undetecable (unless I am just looking at them wrong).

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Joel

 

[rick_reno]

Does what you have feed, chamber, fire and eject in your gun(s)?

 

[birddog]

It feeds, chambers and ejects. As for the fire part, I am hopeful.

I just worry about the over-crimp, over pressure scenario. Though I've pulled a few bullets and don't see any deformities.

 

[cottontoptexan]

45 Crimp

Birddog,
I also use the small Lee press with the turret . I keep one set up with 357 dies and the other with 45 ACP. Hopefully i can clear some things , maybe not.
Okay here is what i use. I have a set of Lee dies also. I use the taper crimp die #90785. I ordered it seperately. HERE IS WHAT LEE SAYS ON THE INSTRUCTIONS WITH THIS DIE.

The Lee Taper Crimp Die greatly improves the accuracy of ammunition reloaded with other brands of dies and older Lee Dies. There is little or no advantage when used with 1986 or newer Lee Dies as the crimp angle is already a modified taper crimp.
I believe you are okay with the dies you have. The crimp is more of a squeeze than a roll looking crimp. You have to hold it under a magnifier to actually see it well. I have had some problem with the thin Remington 45 ACP cases.The brass is a little thinner and i have not had good luck with jacketed bullets but rem works okay with the hard cast. I do a visual inspection on the case mouth and also i can tell by the feel on the handle to some degree after loading this caliber for many years. I seat the bullets on one stage just bringing in the flare you created on the expander die and then move the bullet seating stem up several rounds and screw the die in more until the proper crimp is attained.
Another words i do not seat and crimp all in one operation but some people do with good results. Just a personal habit i guess. Hope this helps you out. YOur dies should be fine. Curt

 

[birddog]

There is little or no advantage when used with 1986 or newer Lee Dies as the crimp angle is already a modified taper crimp.

Yeah, that's the part that I wondered about. The "little or no advantage"...

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it.

 

[NavajoNPaleFace]

I was using the Lee carbide .45 ACP dies to load lead round nose 230 grain bullets.

Very few of them would full battery and, thus, would jam the action.

I had to go with a factory crimp on those.

However, 230 grain FMJ fed great with no added crimp...same guns, too.

 

[larryw]

Generally, crimping on 45 is to just remove the belling of the case mouth so the gun feeds and chambers reliably. Measured at the mouth, .469" to .470"

Lee Factory Crimp Die gets two thumbs up.

 

[SASS#23149]

The one advantage you'd gain by using the FC die is not shaviing jacket or lead as you crimp.Keeps the seating die cleaner too.I feel it's worth the exta step,some do not.<shrug>
load a round and try to push the bullet in by thumb pressure.if ya can,not good.If it's a good tight fit,ya got it.

 

[ftierson]

I use the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die for both 9x19mmP and .45ACP, in addition to .38Spcl, .357Mag. and .44RemMag...

Not only do they crimp slightly in 9x19mmP and .45ACP, but they post size the case, guaranteeing no chambering problems.

I don't know how I survived all those decades of reloading without these dies (and I've been using them now since they first came out many moons ago).

If you've never used them, try them...

You'll like them...

 

[tc300mag1]

I use Fc dies on most my handgun calibers except 45 colt and 454 casull use a redding on them but other wise the lee Fc dies are great.. really like them for the 44 and 357

 

[Delmar]

Nothing wrong with your eyesight, Birddog. Taper crimps do not look anything like the roll crimp on your revolver ammo, and if it does, you aren't doing something right!

 

[308win]

I use the Lee FCD for my 45acp. If you don't crimp at all you may have issues with bullets backing out under recoil leading to failure to go completely into battery.

 

[birddog]

Bump.

 

[Black Snowman]

Ditto on just removing the bell. I try to make the bell as little as possible. If I can keep from crushing cases and not have to crimp to remove the bell I'm very happy, but usually crimp slightly just to be safe.

I use a Lee FCD on many of my rounds and, if possible, I just use the carbide sizing band to remove the bell and not do a full length resize.

It's easier on the bullet and I get better bullet tension from the case than if I rezise the bullet area. The brass seems to spring back more than the copper and lead and the bullet is actually looser in the case afterward. Particularly with plated bullets. I was getting much worse accuracy from my Rainier .40 S&W loads for a while because of this.

They will chamber just fine after going through a post sizing. That will be nearly guaranteed